I saw a pale horse...

You read it here first, The End is Nigh.

I know I'm getting older because, as many of the postings below allude to, I daily grow more and more frustrated with the "car culture" of younger drivers. Movies like The Fast and Furious and pathetic excuses for "tuner" magazines are the rock 'n' roll rubbish to my generation of car guys. I do not know how my grandparents coped until rock music was proven not to be the end of all things wholesome for my parents. They'd hate what I listen to...

So The End must be just around the corner with what I've witnessed lately.

This track season is well under way and I've put on the cap of promotions for my local SCCA chapter's new track driving program. It was a natural extension of something I was already doing on my own trying to appeal to driver friends. Having the program to pump gives me something I can immediately steer new drivers too once I get their interest. Gaining their interest has been a combination of simply sharing my experiences and making logical arguments for experience before expenditure.

Too many drivers in the web forums poast (pun intended) about their latest "mod" to their car only to be answered by similarly attention-starved wannabes congratulating them on the money they've spent. Big whoop. We all know you did it to impress the girls... I'm old enough and fed up enough to call you on it.

But lo and behold I'm not the only one saying so any more! I've got some friends whom have joined the choir, but now I'm seeing new screennames posting the same kinds of things. Adjustable suspension kits need to be tuned once they're installed. Big brakes are actually slower on the street than stock. Fart-can exhaust systems make noise while often killing torque. Heavy wheels drink gas and increase stopping distances... There's a wave of safety conscious advice out there!

And it doesn't stop with the mods either. Others are actually sharing their track experiences too! From out of the woodwork, young drivers are participating in performance driving events, learning from them, and encouraging others to do it too! WOW!

A week ago I drove a weekend-long event that a geat number of first-timers also attended. Several drivers dropped by my paddock to say hello and thank me for sharing my experience. They told me it was my writing that had given them the confidence to try it themselves. They'd faced their fears and found nothing to be afraid of and they wanted me to know. I was humbled. Really humbled. I was glad these guys had tasted track driving for themselves and it left me feeling these guys would leave safer on the streets I drive. I can't wait until they start bringing their friends.